Talking Travel: Hawaiian Airlines Companion Fares; AirAsia Up, American Down

Some general news from the Talking Travel desk this edition, much of it relating to airlines.

This deal from Hawaiian Airlines won't benefit Beijingers directly, but for people with family or friends in Hawaii who would like to come visit will like it. Book between now and August 29, and travel on Hawaiian Airlines to Beijing until December 31, 2014, and receive 50 percent off a companion ticket. Other discounts and incentives apply, including 30 percent off on visa processing fees. Full details are here.

AirAsia X, the Kuala Lumpur-based budget airline, will increase its service to Beijing from seven flights per week to nine, starting October 1. Seems that not all airlines from Malaysia are having a bad year.

On Monday the Beijinger Blog reported that a passenger on a July 31 Air Canada flight from Beijing to Vancouver had contracted measles, and that other passengers were advised to check their immunization status. Think it can't happen to you? Yours truly contracted the measles in Beijing in 1997, after having been inoculated as a child. It wasn't too bad, but it wasn't fun, and, well, you certainly look different for ten days to two weeks.

American Airlines will be reducing its daily service from Chicago to Beijing from January 10 to February 7, 2015 to five times per week. That just happens to be after the Christmas travel period and just before Spring Festival/Chinese New Year.

Please note that disruptions to passenger air service along China's east coast are expected to continue until August 15. Take. The. Train.

Arrivals from the PRC in Singapore were down 27 percent for the first five months of the year. Singapore has lost its luster as a shopping destination. Interesting story about the whole phenomenon here.

That's it for this edition. See you Thursday. One road flat safe.

Photo: Wikimedia